The federal government has chosen an area to be designated as a new sentinel landscape. The area is called the Northwest Florida Sentinel Landscape. It will play a key role in strengthening the nation’s military readiness while addressing natural resources concerns like climate change.
What are sentinel landscapes?
Sentinel landscapes are areas in which natural and working lands remain undeveloped so they can help the military’s mission in the area. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of Interior (DOI) work to support private landowners in accessing the resources necessary to carry out sustainable management practices on their properties. Practices like farming, ranching and forestry protect defense facilities from land development that can prevent the military from carrying out training and testing activities.
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Sentinel landscapes connect private landowners with voluntary state and federal assistance programs. These programs provide agricultural loans, disaster relief, educational opportunities, financial and technical help and funding for conservation easements.
The Northwest Florida Sentinel Landscape
The area has both rural and agricultural land. Some highlights include the iconic longleaf pine forests, threatened and endangered species habitat and nine key DoD facilities. These facilities are integral to U.S. Air Force training, weapons testing and special operations and also provide initial training to all Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard pilots. Partners will focus on addressing the following resilience and sustainability challenges:
- Keeping working agriculture and forest lands as compatible, resilient and sustainable land uses.
- Increasing the resilience and sustainability of natural systems by conserving and restoring habitat and water resources.
- Identifying, implementing and speeding up projects that mitigate coastal risks and increase the climate resilience of military installations and the landscapes that overlap mission footprints.
